The dream of many food entrepreneurs is to see their products sitting on store shelves. To many, this achievement signifies that they have taken their company from a homegrown operation to a well-known entity. It is becoming more and more common to find food products produced by small businesses in supermarkets, specialty grocers, delis, restaurants and other retail establishments. In order to get your food in a retail store, you will need to do quite a bit of research and preparation.

1. Ensure you have all the permits needed to operate your food business legitimately in your area and that you're making, storing and packaging all products in an approved facility. Stores will want to see proof that you are complying with all local laws before they afford your products shelf space since what they sell is a reflection of their professionalism and can affect their reputations.

2. Create packaging that is shelf-stable and attractive while also making sure that the packaging is suitable for your brand and image. For example, if you produce gourmet organic trail mixes, you could add an eye-catching label printed on recycled paper to resealable, biodegradable pouches. Such packaging would reflect your brand's natural products, and the convenient bags would appeal to a wide-range of consumers.

3. Build a following for your food, even if it's just a local audience -- locals will be the ones buying your products, so you will need to prove to retailers that your food will sell if placed on their shelves. Use social media to introduce your brand to new customers, send samples to local food critics and give out samples of your products at local events, such as farmers markets, fairs and festivals.

4. Make a list of the stores in your area that would be a good fit for your food products -- focus on small, independent stores instead of large chains while trying to set up your first wholesale accounts. Think about whether the retailers on your list match well with your company. For instance, a line of affordable, decadent cupcakes could sell well at convenience stores and delis but might not resonate with customers at a health food grocer.

5. Contact the manager or head buyer of each store, briefly introduce your company and products, let him know you're looking to work with retailers on a wholesale basis and ask him for a meeting to present your food for consideration. Search each store's website, if it has one, to see whether you can find the direct phone number or email address for the person in charge of buying and operations. Keep your introduction brief and offer to mail brochures, business cards, a press kit, samples and other related materials if a face-to-face meeting is not convenient.

6. Prepare for your presentation. Remember that your main goal is to show the store representative that your products will sell well for them because your two businesses make a good fit. Emphasize the number of local customers you have, point out how your company will be able to produce wholesale orders consistently and be ready to show your current volume of sales and provide business references.

7. Maintain your wholesale food accounts by ensuring you meet your retailers' deadlines and order amounts and by providing incentives for them to keep doing business with you. If you get to the point where you start struggling to keep up with orders, stop taking on new clients and communicate clearly with the retailers you supply so that they have accurate lead times.

About the Author

Melinda Gaines has been a freelance writer since 2006, with work appearing online for YellowPages and other websites. Her areas of expertise include business, beauty, fashion and sports. Gaines attended the University of Houston where she earned a Bachelor of Science in sport administration.